Thanks to Irene for letting me do this guest post! Our current read, “Island of Ghosts” by Gillian Bradshaw, sends Sarmatian cavalry to Hadrian’s Wall as a result of a treaty with Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Ariantes and his men are assigned to Cilurnum, known today as Chesters Roman Fort. Chester’s has a wonderfully preserved bath house, located outside the fort walls, on the riverbank. The niches for storing clothes still survive and you can sit inside one of the baths! I'm unsuccessful at uploading photos, so click on the link below for the English Heritage page on the fort. Scroll down to the gallery and click on the photos - they are incredible. At the administrative headquarters, you can even peer into the strong room where the money was kept. The strong room still has its original roof! You can also see the under floor heating system (hypocaust) in the commander's house. He had a private bath house as well. Chesters Roman Fort We visited Cilurnum (Chesters) in 2008 and in 2010 and 2011 I was lucky enough to take part in archeology digs at Vindolanda Roman Fort. Vindolanda If Ariantes and his fellow Sarmatians had to be posted on... Continue reading

I'm a long-time fan of the Amelia Peabody mysteries!
And I have always wondered if the Emerson clan would have something to do with Howard Carter's discovery of King Tut. Howard Carter seems a rather pitiful figure in the books. I bet Sethos has a lot to do with this one!
For those of you who haven't tried the Amelia Peabody mysteries, if you enjoy ancient history, I highly recommend them. Amelia's husband, Emerson, doesn't care for Roman history, as he hates it when he digs up a "dratted Roman mummy."

Strictly for Amelia Peabody fans: the latest mystery will be out later this month. Tomb of the Golden Bird (Amelia Peabody Mysteries) by Elizabeth Peters Did they or did they not? I've always wondered what would happen when the time comes that Howard Carter discovers Tutankhamun's tomb. Was i...